GENERAL QUESTION

Would appreciate opinions (good and bad) regarding TREK, GARY FISHER
and FUJI bicycles. I'm researching some basic bikes for my adult
daughter, who is seeking a decent, reliable bike for occasional riding
in a suburban setting. Would like comments based on personal
experience(s) - thanks.

On Aug 24, 3:54 pm, BrianInNY wrote:
Would appreciate opinions (good and bad) regarding TREK, GARY FISHER
and FUJI bicycles. I'm researching some basic bikes for my adult
daughter, who is seeking a decent, reliable bike for occasional riding
in a suburban setting. Would like comments based on personal
experience(s) - thanks.

Its more a question of how much do you want to spend. You can get
good bikes from all three of those manufacturers. I think your first
decision should be what kind of bike does she want or need, based on
the intended use/s of the bike. Then decide on your budget. Then try
several bikes from differant manuacturers at differant shops if
necessary.
Just my 2 cents
Eric

On Aug 24, 3:54*pm, BrianInNY wrote:
Would appreciate opinions (good and bad) regarding TREK, GARY FISHER
and FUJI bicycles. I'm researching some basic bikes for my adult
daughter, who is seeking a decent, reliable bike for occasional riding
in a suburban setting. Would like comments based on personal
experience(s) - thanks.

How they fit and how the bike shop dials them in is often more
important than how much money you throw at the solution or what brand
name is on the downtube. A master wrench can unbox and build up a $500
suburban scoot that will shift and brake so flawlessly it'll be like
flying on a magic carpet.

Don't neglect the important stuff--like a place to carry stuff and a
bell that goes ring a ding ding! I saw two people almost crash today
because they had stuff on their bikes--and no place to put it! The
suburbs are just full of stuff, so get a stuff holder.

On Aug 25, 12:10*am, landotter wrote:
On Aug 24, 3:54*pm, BrianInNY wrote:

Would appreciate opinions (good and bad) regarding TREK, GARY FISHER
and FUJI bicycles. I'm researching some basic bikes for my adult
daughter, who is seeking a decent, reliable bike for occasional riding
in a suburban setting. Would like comments based on personal
experience(s) - thanks.

How they fit and how the bike shop dials them in is often more
important than how much money you throw at the solution or what brand
name is on the downtube. A master wrench can unbox and build up a $500
suburban scoot that will shift and brake so flawlessly it'll be like
flying on a magic carpet.

Don't neglect the important stuff--

(like not posting in all caps?)

snip

The suburbs are just full of stuff, so get a stuff holder.

Brilliant! Love it! I'm using that line (or a slight variation) to
justify/explain the rack I've been procrastinating on for the past few
weeks. Actually, not so much procrastinating as trying to decide
which rack and waiting until I have a more complete list of junk to
order, but that’s neither here nor there. I’ve looked at a couple
racks that mount to the seat post and the rear brake mount area, but
fit seems iffy ordering online. The LBS doesn’t carry much in this
regard. Might have to try to get by REI, see what they've got in the
way if "stuff holders".

On Aug 25, 7:34*am, " wrote:
On Aug 25, 12:10*am, landotter wrote:

Don't neglect the important stuff--

(like not posting in all caps?)

snip

The suburbs are just full of stuff, so get a stuff holder.

Brilliant! *Love it! *I'm using that line (or a slight variation) to
justify/explain the rack I've been procrastinating on for the past few
weeks. *Actually, not so much procrastinating as trying to decide
which rack and waiting until I have a more complete list of junk to
order, but that’s neither here nor there. *I’ve looked at a couple
racks that mount to the seat post and the rear brake mount area, but
fit seems iffy ordering online. *The LBS doesn’t carry much in this
regard. *Might have to try to get by REI, see what they've got in the
way if "stuff holders".

Carlin on "Stuff"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

I've been enjoying carrying stuff on my Kona since they built the bike/
ped bridge over the Cumberland. Just yesterday I turned a 30 mile
training ride into a shopping trip. Ride out fifteen miles, lock up,
put on the shorts of modesty, shop, load up 40-50# of STUFF in the
front and rear, then haul ass home. It's hilarious passing guys on 17#
crochets when you've got a family pack of pork chops sticking out of
one pannier and some TP bungee'd to your front rack. "Wassamatter,
beetches, wanna draft?"

On Aug 25, 10:43*am, landotter wrote:
On Aug 25, 7:34*am, " wrote:





On Aug 25, 12:10*am, landotter wrote:
Don't neglect the important stuff--

(like not posting in all caps?)

snip

The suburbs are just full of stuff, so get a stuff holder.

Brilliant! *Love it! *I'm using that line (or a slight variation) to
justify/explain the rack I've been procrastinating on for the past few
weeks. *Actually, not so much procrastinating as trying to decide
which rack and waiting until I have a more complete list of junk to
order, but that’s neither here nor there. *I’ve looked at a couple
racks that mount to the seat post and the rear brake mount area, but
fit seems iffy ordering online. *The LBS doesn’t carry much in this
regard. *Might have to try to get by REI, see what they've got in the
way if "stuff holders".

Carlin on "Stuff"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

Good stuff! Carlin was the man - I was fortunate enough to see him
live a few years ago, great show. Damn shame he's no longer with us.


I've been enjoying carrying stuff on my Kona since they built the bike/
ped bridge over the Cumberland. Just yesterday I turned a 30 mile
training ride into a shopping trip. Ride out fifteen miles, lock up,
put on the shorts of modesty, shop, load up 40-50# of STUFF in the
front and rear, then haul ass home. It's hilarious passing guys on 17#
crochets when you've got a family pack of pork chops sticking out of
one pannier and some TP bungee'd to your front rack. "Wassamatter,
beetches, wanna draft?"

Good stuff. I've yet to have a bike with a proper place for stuff - I
tend to use a backpack for shopping and the like when going by bike.
Just recently I decided to get a rack for the foul weather/beater/
winter/townie/shopping bike. Just gotta wait until I decide I need
enough stuff to justify an order of stuff in which to include the
stuff holder, which is stuff in itself. Then I'll be able to haul
stuff by bike without the backpack.

I used to have the same fun passing the hardcore on my old SS, which
is now my foul weather/beater/winter/townie/shopping bike. These days
most of my road riding is on a crotchet, which takes a bit of the fun
out of passing the lancealikes. It's more fun to ride on the road
though, not to mention faster.

On Aug 24, 4:54*pm, BrianInNY wrote:
Would appreciate opinions (good and bad) regarding TREK, GARY FISHER
and FUJI bicycles. I'm researching some basic bikes for my adult
daughter, who is seeking a decent, reliable bike for occasional riding
in a suburban setting. Would like comments based on personal
experience(s) - thanks.

It probably comes down to personal choice as all three brands seem to
be good ones.

My recommendations would be to not to worry so much about the brand
but rather to think about what kind of riding your daughter is likely
to do.

I'd roughly break down riding to about 4 ategories,

1. Fast road riding ( often done with a club and wearing spandex )
For this she will want a good high quality road bike (the kind with
drop handle bars) Performance is key.

2. Recreational riding. Riding around the area on paved roads or well
maintained paths. Performance is not as important as in 1. A good
road bike (as in 1) or a hybred, which will usually have upright bars,
and wider tires than a road bike are good choices. A mountain bike
will work but may be overkill.

3. Off-Road or mountain biking. Ride on rough trails, through mud
etc. Again performance is critical but the bike type is very
different from what one wants for road riding. Full blown mountain
bike with at least front suspension is needed and full suspension is
probably better. Mountain bike is required

4. Utility cycling. Rides to get to work or to shop, visit friends
etc. Any of the above bikes will work. If used for this type of
riding one needs to consider fitting rear rack, getting saddle bags
for easy carrying of groceries, clothes etc, and one should have
lights for save riding after dark

John Kane Kingston ON Canada

"BrianInNY" wrote in message
...
Would appreciate opinions (good and bad) regarding TREK, GARY FISHER
and FUJI bicycles. I'm researching some basic bikes for my adult
daughter, who is seeking a decent, reliable bike for occasional riding
in a suburban setting. Would like comments based on personal
experience(s) - thanks.

The biggest differences will often be between the dealer selling the
product. We like Trek; we'er a very large Trek dealer (so you can assume I'm
biased) and have had a relationship with the company for over 20 years. Very
good people, widely regarded as having the best tech/warranty department in
the business, and extremely low staff turnover, which is a very rare thing
in the bike biz. The reason it's a good thing is that your product people
aren't always new and having to re-learn everything. Fewer "rookie"
mistakes. Fisher is part of the Trek organization, so quality & support will
be similar.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

In article ,
" writes:
On Aug 25, 10:43=A0am, landotter wrote:
On Aug 25, 7:34=A0am, " wrote:





On Aug 25, 12:10=A0am, landotter wrote:
Don't neglect the important stuff--

(like not posting in all caps?)

snip

The suburbs are just full of stuff, so get a stuff holder.

Brilliant! =A0Love it! =A0I'm using that line (or a slight variation) t=
o
justify/explain the rack I've been procrastinating on for the past few
weeks. =A0Actually, not so much procrastinating as trying to decide
which rack and waiting until I have a more complete list of junk to
order, but that=92s neither here nor there. =A0I=92ve looked at a coupl=
e
racks that mount to the seat post and the rear brake mount area, but
fit seems iffy ordering online. =A0The LBS doesn=92t carry much in this
regard. =A0Might have to try to get by REI, see what they've got in the
way if "stuff holders".

Carlin on "Stuff"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DMvgN5gCuLac

Good stuff! Carlin was the man - I was fortunate enough to see him
live a few years ago, great show. Damn shame he's no longer with us.


I've been enjoying carrying stuff on my Kona since they built the bike/
ped bridge over the Cumberland. Just yesterday I turned a 30 mile
training ride into a shopping trip. Ride out fifteen miles, lock up,
put on the shorts of modesty, shop, load up 40-50# of STUFF in the
front and rear, then haul ass home. It's hilarious passing guys on 17#
crochets when you've got a family pack of pork chops sticking out of
one pannier and some TP bungee'd to your front rack. "Wassamatter,
beetches, wanna draft?"

Good stuff. I've yet to have a bike with a proper place for stuff - I
tend to use a backpack for shopping and the like when going by bike.
Just recently I decided to get a rack for the foul weather/beater/
winter/townie/shopping bike. Just gotta wait until I decide I need
enough stuff to justify an order of stuff in which to include the
stuff holder, which is stuff in itself. Then I'll be able to haul
stuff by bike without the backpack.

I used to have the same fun passing the hardcore on my old SS, which
is now my foul weather/beater/winter/townie/shopping bike. These days
most of my road riding is on a crotchet, which takes a bit of the fun
out of passing the lancealikes. It's more fun to ride on the road
though, not to mention faster.

If you have easy access to a number of food specialty shops
(i.e: butcher shops, bakeries, green grocers, etc) I heartily
recommend trying shopping by bike. It turns an otherwise
tedious chore into a pleasant excursion. Or two, or three
excursions. More excuses to ride, and to just generally
get out-and-about in the city, and to see which shops have
what, and at what prices.

In so doing, I've enjoyed much better quality and
selection than from "convenient" one-stop shopping
at the supermarket. And it gives me more time to
think about what I want/need for recipe ingredients;
there's less chance of forgetting something, and
more opportunity to come up with inspired ideas
of stuff to get.

As for stuff carriers, those clackety Wald folding
rear baskets might be a good starting point.
They have good capacity, they're inexpensive, and
if you decide you don't like 'em, you can always
take 'em off. I still like my milk crate, but
it /is/ aesthetically wanting. OTOH it doesn't
hurt to uglify a city bike.

It also helps to obtain a number of re-usable
shopping bags, so you can take your heretofore
purchases into the shop you're currently visiting,
instead of leaving them on the bike. And it's
less disposable plastic bags clogging the oceans
and washing up on the shores of Bikini Atoll.

My Uber stuff carrier is my Leggero Max trailer,
which readily converts into a shopping cart.
I'm enamoured with it, but it arouses such
curiosity that I frequently find myself demo-ing
it like a carnival hawker to inquisitive & intrigued
passers-by. But I don't mind showing the world that
bicycles can be a viable means of "serious" transportation.

Longtail bikes such as the XtraCycle conversion
as well as purpose-built integral units are
another approach worthy of consideration, and
might be your best bet for keeping your cargo
secure when riding over those crochets.

And then there are these bakfiets thingies.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On Aug 29, 7:33*am, (Tom Keats) wrote:
In article ,
* * * * " writes:





On Aug 25, 10:43=A0am, landotter wrote:
On Aug 25, 7:34=A0am, " wrote:

On Aug 25, 12:10=A0am, landotter wrote:
Don't neglect the important stuff--

(like not posting in all caps?)

snip

The suburbs are just full of stuff, so get a stuff holder.

Brilliant! =A0Love it! =A0I'm using that line (or a slight variation) t=
o
justify/explain the rack I've been procrastinating on for the past few
weeks. =A0Actually, not so much procrastinating as trying to decide
which rack and waiting until I have a more complete list of junk to
order, but that=92s neither here nor there. =A0I=92ve looked at a coupl=
e
racks that mount to the seat post and the rear brake mount area, but
fit seems iffy ordering online. =A0The LBS doesn=92t carry much in this
regard. =A0Might have to try to get by REI, see what they've got in the
way if "stuff holders".

Carlin on "Stuff"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DMvgN5gCuLac

Good stuff! *Carlin was the man - I was fortunate enough to see him
live a few years ago, great show. *Damn shame he's no longer with us.

I've been enjoying carrying stuff on my Kona since they built the bike/
ped bridge over the Cumberland. Just yesterday I turned a 30 mile
training ride into a shopping trip. Ride out fifteen miles, lock up,
put on the shorts of modesty, shop, load up 40-50# of STUFF in the
front and rear, then haul ass home. It's hilarious passing guys on 17#
crochets when you've got a family pack of pork chops sticking out of
one pannier and some TP bungee'd to your front rack. "Wassamatter,
beetches, wanna draft?"

Good stuff. *I've yet to have a bike with a proper place for stuff - I
tend to use a backpack for shopping and the like when going by bike.
Just recently I decided to get a rack for the foul weather/beater/
winter/townie/shopping bike. *Just gotta wait until I decide I need
enough stuff to justify an order of stuff in which to include the
stuff holder, which is stuff in itself. *Then I'll be able to haul
stuff by bike without the backpack.

I used to have the same fun passing the hardcore on my old SS, which
is now my foul weather/beater/winter/townie/shopping bike. *These days
most of my road riding is on a crotchet, which takes a bit of the fun
out of passing the lancealikes. *It's more fun to ride on the road
though, not to mention faster.

If you have easy access to a number of food specialty shops
(i.e: butcher shops, bakeries, green grocers, etc)

I do. One of the high points of living in the city.


I heartily
recommend trying shopping by bike. *It turns an otherwise
tedious chore into a pleasant excursion. *Or two, or three
excursions. *More excuses to ride, and to just generally
get out-and-about in the city, and to see which shops have
what, and at what prices.

I tend to do this already with the "townie bike" I'm looking for a
rack for. I think with a rack or two, it would make a nifty "shopping
bike".


In so doing, I've enjoyed much better quality and
selection than from "convenient" one-stop shopping
at the supermarket. *And it gives me more time to
think about what I want/need for recipe ingredients;
there's less chance of forgetting something, and
more opportunity to come up with inspired ideas
of stuff to get.

Again, I tend to do this already with the bike I've got. I'm just
accustomed to using a backpack, and with racks I could avoid the
"sweaty back" aspect.


As for stuff carriers, those clackety Wald folding
rear baskets might be a good starting point.
They have good capacity, they're inexpensive, and
if you decide you don't like 'em, you can always
take 'em off. *I still like my milk crate, but
it /is/ aesthetically wanting. *OTOH it doesn't
hurt to uglify a city bike.

I'll have to take a look at the Wald folding baskets. A LBS near me
is currently going out of business and has everything but new bikes @
1/2 off, so I think I'm going to see if I can fit one of their racks
to my bike. It'd have to share eyelets with the fenders, so at the
least I'd be needing longer screws. With the bike as old and "well
used" as it is I have my doubts about their ability to handle the
load. I'll have to look into it further.


It also helps to obtain a number of re-usable
shopping bags, so you can take your heretofore
purchases into the shop you're currently visiting,
instead of leaving them on the bike. *And it's
less disposable plastic bags clogging the oceans
and washing up on the shores of Bikini Atoll.

Good call. My dad has bought some of those bags, but has yet to
remember to bring them shopping. On the other hand, I do find paper
bags a good way to start the backyard fires, since I don't get daily
newspapers. Something else to consider, anyway.


My Uber stuff carrier is my Leggero Max trailer,
which readily converts into a shopping cart.
I'm enamoured with it, but it arouses such
curiosity that I frequently find myself demo-ing
it like a carnival hawker to inquisitive & intrigued
passers-by. *But I don't mind showing the world that
bicycles can be a viable means of "serious" transportation.

Longtail bikes such as the XtraCycle conversion
as well as purpose-built integral units are
another approach worthy of consideration, and
might be your best bet for keeping your cargo
secure when riding over those crochets.

And then there are these bakfiets thingies.

The LBS going out of business had handlebar baskets on sale too. I
seriously considered it, just for the novelty. Who knows, I still may
pull the trigger on one. I should have checked the price.